


The Stronghold Lives On

by Emaleya



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: All dogs grow old eventually, Dogs, F/F, Gen, Mabari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-03-01 06:59:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18795295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emaleya/pseuds/Emaleya
Summary: Warden Commander Neria Surana comes to visit Skyhold once the Grey Warden problem is settled and the Inquisition is safely established without her.





	1. Chapter 1

          Her face hurt from the frigid cold wind and her thighs were sore from climbing through the deep snow. She checked behind her for Hammer, her Mabari, who had fallen back to walk in the path she cleared through the snow. His head was down, but he hadn't pulled off the wrap she'd put around his ears. He was slowing however, and she decided that as soon as they reached the top of this rise they'd stop and she'd check his paws and warm him up. And then they'd both have something to eat and drink before heading on to this fortress her love was now roosting in. They were close now, unless she'd lost all sense of direction, so they should be reaching Skyhold within the next day, two if Ham was too sore to continue.

"How are you doing back there old guy?"

Hammer whined back at her, sounding tired and achy.

"Just a little farther, then we'll stop and I'll fix you up and we can finish that dried nug?"

He yipped and panted, and she glanced over her shoulder to see his stubby tail wag in excitement.

"Remember; It's our secret. Don't tell Leliana, or we're never eating nug again."

Ham whimpered in mock fear.

"We might never eat anything again for that matter. You know how she feels about her brood."

He huffed in chastisement.

"Yeah, I know she loves us more than her pets. But it's a thin margin, Serrah. "

 

They reached the summit.

Skyhold was a sight.

          Banners and streaming flags bright against the grey and white of the stone and snow. A long and narrow bridge leading to the front gate as the only way in, she recognized it as a perfectly functional choke point in case of invaders. And it was also likely very helpful in keeping the inundation of refugees and recruits Leliana had written her about, in some semblance of order.  Refugees who still remained at the base of the mountain, in settlements interspersed with the Inquisition's army. She saw the blue gryphon flags of the conscripted Wardens down there in the valley as well.

"Look HamHam, there's no snow on Skyhold's bridge. Do you think it's a weather enchantment or do they just have people cleaning it all the time?"

He didn't seemed particularly interested in the answer, so she turned away from the view and trampled down a circle of snow and lay down her cloak.

Hammer groaned as he lay down on it.

"Poor thing, " she cooed as she knelt beside him, "Let me see your paws, big guy." She pulled her gauntlets and gloves off and lay them beside her.

          They weren't frost bitten, but they were very cold and there was snow between his toes. She picked the compacted snow loose and rubbed a bit of grease on his pads to keep them from cracking, and on his nose as well, for the windburn. To warm them she cast some flame near her side and then she shifted so he was tucked up beside her to share the heat from her newly warmed armor.

"There, how's that?"

He nudged her with his nose and used his high-pitched begging whine.

"Yes, yes, I'm not forgetting the food. You know I'd never forget food."

          She unwrapped the dried meat and handed a piece to the almost patient mabari beside her, he took it delicately from her hand then held one end between is front paws as he gnawed on the other.  She chewed her own piece, ears twitching as she listened to the wind, and echoes of the people in the valley.

          When Hammer finished, she gave him another piece.  His muzzle was grizzled and he was missing a couple of his teeth, the ones he still had were blunted, chipped and yellowed.  She couldn't heal broken teeth. Loose teeth were fine, even ones that had come out she could put back in if they could be found, but once they'd broken off she couldn't do anything.

          The rest of him was in good condition for a war dog of his age. He hadn't known she was going to train as spirit healer when he'd chosen her but it had done him some favors. She was proud of how well she had done by him. He had all his legs for one thing, and very few scars, most that he did have he earned before they had met, or when she'd fallen hard in a battle and needed medical treatment herself.

She was officially a badass though so it was mostly the former not the latter.

The last piece of dried nug she broke in half to share.

"Let's get this done, Hamboy. I just bet you that Lel will set us both up with someplace warm and soft to sleep, and some fresh food."

He huffed and lay flat as she stood and stretched.

"You know this isn't a good spot. Don't make me pick you up. See if I won't" she warned.

He was a strong independent war hound who don't need no elf,  but he was old, and he wasn't as self sufficient as he used to be.

He groaned.

"Don't tell me that year in Alistair's kennels made you soft, now?"

He grumbled and finally stood and she bent and rubbed behind his ears where he liked it best.

"Love you , Hammer man. Let's go. Maybe we can stop in the valley."

 

          They do stop in the valley, and they're given a ride on the wagon of provisions to the Wardens' camp. She wasn't really given a choice in the matter. The officer at the entrance took one look at her cloak and sent them on their way.

It was fine if they weren't separated.

          Space was found for them in one of the women's tents, and they shared a cot. Dogs were excellent heaters and she was Ferelden, so she didn't mind the smell. Even if she got some disapproving looks from the others.

          She would have gotten worse looks if they'd known she was a mage. These were the survivors of the slaughter. What with the mind control and the possession, most of the mages hadn't survived or escaped and so mages were currently unprecedentedly unpopular among the Grey Wardens.

 

Leaving camp the next day was more difficult than she expected.

They were actually trying to stop her from head up the road to the fortress.

"No, I am not here as a Warden, I have business in Skyhold."

That apparently wasn't enough for the guard. He asked to know who her commanding officer had been.

"I am my commanding officer. Leave off, Serrah. I'm not asking for inquisition resources to get up there. We've walked this far, I had planned to walk the rest of it."

He insisted she stay down in the valley and they could send a message up.

She asked for his name. He told her and continued to argue but she cut him off.

"We are going to Skyhold, and I am going to go see Sister Nightingale, and I will not mention to her who it was who tried to hold me back."

He paled, she passed.

 

She ended up having to carry Hammer for the last hour.

          He'd whimpered and when she'd turn to look he'd laid down where he was. She checked his paws and urged him up but his legs were shaking. She offered him a mabari  crunch to get him going but he'd just sighed at her. So she crouched in front of him and put his front paws over her shoulders and her hands under his bum and carried him like a child the rest of the way.

The poor old guy seemed embarrassed so she made comforting noises at him instead of teasing him.

How long did mabari live? Not much longer than ten years, she thought, and she didn't know how old he'd been when they'd met.

He was her best friend and despite spending more and more time apart (as she travelled west and he made a final imprint on the royal mabari kennels) she wasn't ready for him to be gone.

It was a long goodbye seeing him age.

          He seemed to know it, too. The last time he'd been in the royal kennels in the palace of Denerim was just after the blight while she was dealing with Amaranthine and Vigil's Keep. He fathered several litters, because apparently he was a very charming boy even to lady mabari. He hadn't been back until she'd gone west and he'd asked to stay.

Before that he'd insisted on them heading north to help Zevran wreak havoc on his former slavers.

He was always happy to see Leliana, but he had been excited to hear that Morrigan would likely be present.

"Are you doing a farewell tour, Hammy?"

He stuck his cold nose into her hood to press against her ear and chuffed when she squeaked at him.

 

          The bridge to Skyhold was warmer than the mountain path leading to it, but only slightly. She still thought magic or enchantments were involved, but only subtly to give the impression the heat was from the sun on the stone.

She set Hammer down and pulled his hood down around his neck before they walked through the gate. He deserved to retain his dignity.

The grass of the yard meant there was certainly magic involved. Even if the tingling hadn't tipped her off.

Looking up she saw a familiar figure on a veranda on the side of the main keep.

Up they go, then.

They were stopped by a guard on the way to the stairs, but he was much more polite than the one at the camp.

"I'm sorry but the Inquisitor is not here, what is your business, Warden?"

"I am not here to see the Inquisitor, I am here to see the Nightingale," she looked to the stairs, "Would you direct me?"

A large man with a big black beard was watching them from the barn.

Odd.

"The lady Nightingale doesn't typically see visitors."

"That you know, she's your spymaster not your diplomat. I'm an old friend, she'll see me."

And, perfectly timed, a scout appeared beside them to fend off any more questions.

          The hooded young human gave her directions up the stairs and then around and up the stairs into the main hall, and then through the first door on the right and up the stair case on the door on the left, and turning in the library to the final stairs upward on the right.

She thanked him and he left, so did the guard.

"That's a lot of stairs, Hammer."

He gave the first staircase a determined look, but the climb was slow going as he took every step instead of bounding up like he did when he was younger.

          She lowered her hood as they entered the keep. The main hall smelled of food, but they continued through the door on the right. Past a beardless blond dwarf who watched them closely from his seat at a table covered in papers.

The circular walls of the room she entered were painted with murals. Or plastered? Frescoed? She hadn't studied art, but she did like to listen when people talked.

          At the center of the room was a cluttered desk, occupied by a bald elvhen mage (there was a staff, her best guess was that it was his). He was watching her but pretending not to, so she returned the favour.  Hammer was giving him the stink eye, though, ears down and the fur of his neck bristled.

          It was the ear, probably, it earned her a lot of looks. The tip of her right ear had been shredded and the side of her head was scarred by the blow she kept her hair shaved on that side, to keep it visible because she refused to be ashamed of surviving or being elvhen. She had a gold wire ear cuff that replicated the shape her ear used to be, that she liked to wear when she wasn't traveling or fighting. So mostly with Leliana as it worked out.

 

The staircase was narrow. She looked at Hammer, he hung his head.

"I could carry you?"

The elf looked up at her, but she wasn't speaking to him.

Ham refused.

"You want to go out by the fireplace?"

He just gave her a look because she did know better, he didn't want to be that far.

She looked up at the elvhen man, "Is it alright with you if he waits here? "

"He seems quiet enough that he won't disturb me."

She took that as agreement and set about making a mat with her cloak to protect old mabari elbows from the hardness and cold of the floor in the spot that he had selected.

"Be back soon, then we'll get some food, eh?"

His tail wagged and he thunked his head down onto his front paws. She rubbed his ears and straightened and shouldered her bag.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warden Commander Neria Surana goes to the tavern and they talk about dragons

The large, old, scarred Qunari who calls himself The Iron Bull really loves dragons.

Possibly too much.

She hadn't realized that was a thing.

Sten-now-Arishok hadn't had that sort of thing.

So not really a Qunari thing.

Though the Inquisitor was pretty enthusiastic about dragons, too. Then again so was her elvhen girlfriend.

They were sharing stories of the dragons they'd slain.

Inquisitor Adaar seemed more focused on the appearance and performance of the dragons, almost academically, or aesthetically. Something like that. Words like beauty and pretty and impressive were thrown around.

She didn't disagree. Dragons were an excellent animal. (Insofar as they were animals like mabari were animals, which is to say more like people)

Sera was mostly stretching her arms and making sound effects interspersed with words apparently as part of a whole story, but Neria was having a little difficulty keeping track to be honest. Also she apparently thought it would be right brilliant to ride on one.

Neria didn't precisely disagree.

The Iron Bull agreed with both of the women and then some.

He was also very enthusiastic about the fighting. And the damage the dragon could deal. And the damage he dealt the dragon.

"This one time,we were fighting the Northern Hunter, out in Crestwood. She'd been going after livestock, and people by that point."

"But her markings were stunning, you don't even know," Adaar added.

"Ha! yeah! Stunning!" Sera laughed and snorted, "Y'know, because she had lightning!"

Adaar grinned and The Iron Bull laughed, "Yeah, anyway, she was one of our first and it was taking forever to wear her down, the Boss hadn't found her magic sword yet so it was just me keeping her attention away from the mages and Sera. I'm right up in there, right? Almost underneath her, got a real good look at her throat lighting up when she prepared her lightning." he grunted "damn, anyway, Sera's almost out of arrows-"

Said elf blew a raspberry.

"-the Boss and Dorian are running low on juice and are mostly just swinging their staves around and keeping our barriers up."

Adaar rolled her eyes, but seemed amused.

The Iron Bull proceeded to describe the way he one time cut nearly through a dragon's foreleg.

Neria nods and sets down her drink.

And nonchalantly said, "This one time; I killed an Archdemon."

Inquisitor Adaar snorted.

The Iron Bull called her a spoilsport.

and Sera questioned whether Archdemons counted as dragons, because they were really just all weird with all that darkspawny stuff.

She shrugged, "Look, I killed one dragon, and her brood, up by the Temple of Sacred ashes. And I sort of maybe killed a witch who transformed into a dragon in the Kocari Wilds. The Archdemon seemed kind of dragony, at least in shape. More dangerous though. Smarter. Probably counts for at least two dragons, maybe three. We needed something like half an army to take it down long enough for me to grab a dropped great sword and charge under it as it lowered its head to attack I sliced along it's throat as I ran. It collapsed and I stabbed the sword through the back of its skull," she took a drink and furrowed her brows, "then it sort of exploded."

Sera looked into her cup and grumbled about how the sky had gone all weird, Adaar squeezed her shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neria faces some old pain

There was only s long that Neria could relax in Skyhold.

That was not to say that she was at any point unwelcome.

It was simply that she had not had any length of time to just rest and relax and spend time with people for years.  She was always training, traveling, researching. Or brewing. Or having things enchanted. Or killing darkspawn. Or acting as Arl of Amaranthine. There was paperwork and supplies and reports and planning.

It had been decade with almost no rest, with the rare month spent with Leliana in a secluded beach house. There she had learned to relax.

Skyhold was not a beach house and she was growing restless.

She lay awake, gently scratching Leliana's scalp when her songbird sighed and propped her chin on Neria's chest.

"You should try training with the soldiers if you need something to fill your time, sweetest."

She raised an eyebrow even though her songbird's eyes couldn't see it in the dark, "I think I'm a little more skilled than the average recruit, don't you?"

"We have Commander Cullen officially overseeing the training twice a week, though he helps more often than that, he's very skilled. You could try learning something new."

"Well if it's Ser Cullen teaching then I better be learning how to use a shield," she stroked her lover's hair, "I'll wear my full helmet and armor."

"Still not ready to speak to him? We can't hide you here for too long, he will notice eventually."

"I'm worried I might punch him before I say anything, that rarely ends in a reasonable discussion."

Slim arms wrapped around her waist, underneath her back and squeezing comfortingly, "you are safe here, you must know that. I won't let anyone harm you here."

"I know, I'm safe from everyone but our enemies. As usual," cupping her face Neria pulled Leliana up for a gentle kiss.

"I'll see if I have any knack for shield work tomorrow," she told her as they curled up chest to back.

Training happened early so when Leliana woke and got ready for the day Neria woke with her, where normally she'd take the opportunity to soak up the last of the warmth and laziness of morning. They breakfasted together and Neria pulled on her full armor while Leliana applied her makeup.

Tabard, Brigandine, Breastplate, Greaves, Tasset, Pauldrons, vambrace, gauntlets, dagger in her belt even if weapons weren't officially carried in Skyhold.

She picked up her helmet and held it under her arm.

They kissed each other before opening the door and parting for the day.

Down the stairs to the door leading to the training yard where she stopped to make sure that her ears and hair were safely tucked away before putting on her helmet.

Griffon wings arching up beside her head like mock ears, she stepped out into the sun.

As Leliana had promised it was a less formal training session meant for volunteers or the particularly inept to polish their skills.

Training weapons were provided,  so she chose a basic long sword and shield and learned how to settle it on her left arm.

The lesson was short and basic before they were instructed to pair up and spar.

It quickly became apparent that she was not a natural with a shield, that didn't stop her.

"Keep your shield up it's supposed to protect you."

But it did draw attention she had hoped to avoid by staying near the back of the crowd.

He moved on quickly to the next pair to give instructions, but he also kept returning.

She was nearly knocked off of her feet.

"Redirect the blows away from you don't just take them head on."

She grit her teeth and dug in, head down shoulders braced.

Again her guard was broken, her partner's practice blade glancing off of her pauldron.

He kept coming back to her.

Riding her back.

"It's an extension of your arm, not a method of losing your arm."

She lunged forward in an imitation of a move she remembered Alistair enjoyed, trying to smash her shield into her opponent before he could attack her but she overbalanced and her redirected her past him where she nearly collided with the former Templar.

"I thought Wardens were supposed to be skilled warriors."

She snarled at him, that was it. She was done.

She threw her shield at him and stole the long sword from her partner's hands before her could resist.

She held herself ready, knees bent, swords held angled in front of her.

Cullen seemed surprised, but he took the challenge, "Alright Warden. Let's see if you can redeem yourself."

A suck-up brought him a helmet and another offered him their sword.

Her ears were ringing with frustration.

The trainees backed away to give them a free circle of space.

He matched her stance.

She let him wait.

He shifted preparing to make the first move if she wouldn't.

She did. Knocked him off balance, but not down. He recovered.

Struck out with the shield. She dodged to his flank.

She kicked at the side of his knee.

He caught her hip with his sword.

They disengaged and circled.

Again the clashed. Swords caught and deflected.

Blows that glanced off of armor.

He kept on her.

She calmed. Heart pounding.

She caught his sword on her own crossed blades and shoved him back.

She swung and he grunted as her sword caught his shield. Surprised by her strength.

He charged her with his shield so she mind blasted him to break his momentum.

He yelled.

That had surprised the Templar bastard!

Former Templar.

One of the 'good ones'.

She still tasted the terror, of seeing him watching her, waiting for him to decide to take.

She roared and cast flames at him he deflected with an angle to his shield that kept them from his face.

But flame rises so it still impaired his vision and she slipped inside his guard and  dazed him with a pommel to the chin and then pressed a blade tip to his armpit.

"Yield."

He yielded.

She stepped back.

"I didn't realize you were mage. Why are you-"

"Last time a Templar tried to ride me like that he also pulled my hair," she snarled, too quiet to be overheard, but he understood her clearly enough.

"We're not all-"

He tried to explain but she was already walking away to the weapons racks to put away the equipment she was carrying. Hammer brought her a flask, and nudged her leg.

She pulled off her helmet and set it down on a low wall as she took a drink of water.

He spluttered silent.

"Anything else about the skills of Wardens, Ser Cullen, Pardon, Commander Cullen?"

"Neria-"

She twitched and glared.

"Warden Surana, I hadn't realized."

"You weren't meant to. I just wanted to expand my weapons skills in a beginner environment, not give your soldiers a demonstration of how an Arcane Warrior fights. But as skilled as you are I don't think I can study with you near. That always was a problem for me. So now, since I can, I'm going to go elsewhere and see what I can learn.  Perhaps the Qunari spy will let me train with his men."

 

Later she received a message from him saying only that they needed to talk.

He wasn't wrong.

But she was not interested.

She'd much rather spend a couple more hours listening to the Tevinter Altus creatively insult her intelligence again.

She'd even prefer an afternoon tea with Grand Enchanter Vivienne, but fortunately she was spared that particular fate.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neria likes doing research

Neria liked the library.

Dorian liked to complain about how badly Hammer smelled.

Not that he smelled of anything worse than dog.

She'd asked.

"What's wrong with the smell of dogs?"

"That is the singular most Ferelden thing I have ever heard a person say."

"I mean, he's a dog, that's how he's supposed to smell."

"And it is terrible, can't you, I don't know," he waved a hand dramatically, "Perfume him or something?"

"Doggy cologne?" she suggested.

"Yes precisely."

"Now you sound Orlesian." she told him, "And no, strong floral scents give him a headache."

"He's a dog."

"So?"

"Well how do you know they give him a headache?"

"Because he told me so," she looked down to the floor, "Right, Hammer?"

He whined and then wagged his tail.

"He's a dog."

"He is the smartest dog, Dorian. If he were a human he'd be smarter than you. He's easily as smart as half of the officers."

"I want to argue with you, but I'm afraid you might be right."

"Sergeants need to be smart in a proper army, officers? not so much."

"Aren't you a Commander?"

"That was more of a last one standing situation. There was literally no one else for the job. Well, there was one person. He's a King, now."

"We're off track, how do you know he gets headaches."

"Because he was in pain and when I asked if it was his head he told me it was. Yes and no answers are easy, don't start, and eventually we figured it was the scented soap we were using because it was a gift and we ran out of the normal stuff."

"I am not surprised but also horrified that you share your soap with your dog."

She shrugged and checked an index, "You think I should carry separate soaps for each of us?  I'd rather use the space for something more important. Like food, or alcohol, or a book."

"I cannot fault your priorities."

"You only want to because you think you need to be critical to sound clever. And you need to be and sound clever, because not enough people find you charming."

"Well... that was direct."

She shrugged, "For what it's worth I think you're a good person, even if you're a little slow to some things and you keep sabotaging yourself."

"How am I slow?"

"How long has it taken you to figure out that slavery is terrible no matter how the people are treated, because treated people like objects is inherently wrong and can only lead to abuse?"

"...Point."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neria tells the Seeker why she wouldn't have liked her as the Inquisitor.

The right hand of the Divine (deceased, may she rest at the Maker's side and so on) was extremely unhappy that Leliana had hidden Neria from them.

They'd wanted the Hero of Ferelden for Inquisitor, as leader and figurehead.

Neria knew this because Leliana had informed her, through letter since she was far to the west at the time.

Neria had heard what the Divine had wanted and why and she had refused the offer.

Leliana understood her reasons and had left it at that, she had also apparently known that a refusal would have led the others to try to convince her.

Her songbird protected her by hiding her knowledge of her location.

Now that the role of Inquisitor had been cast it was safe for her to approach.

She wouldn't have, if not for Hammer and a certain person whom she wished to interview.

Unfortunately, the lies had made saying hello to the Seeker Cassandra in the courtyard rather awkward.

"Greetings, Seeker Cassandra, it has been a long time," she'd said.

The seeker's expression was sour "We had tried to contact you sooner but I was told you could not be found, but I suppose that wasn't true."

"I was very far away and sister Nightingale did not know where I was."

"But she could contact you, I take it."

"Well, yes," she tilted her head, "she's very good at finding people and I don't hide from her."

She grunted, "Then why? Why the lies?"

Neria shrugged, "She was honest with me. Don't misunderstand, I know why you wanted me. She told me of the Divine's plans, she told me what role I was wanted for. I was not interested."

"Then why not just tell us that."

"Would you have listened, Seeker Cassandra, the Right Hand?" she maintained eye contact, "or would you have tried to convince me?"

"We needed you, if you had simply listened to our arguments, spoken with us."

Neria looked around and gestured widely indicated the keep they were in, "You didn't need me, you wanted me, no, rather you wanted a symbol. Whether I wanted it or not. Being summoned by the Divine? Speaking to her in person? Simply consenting to that would have been seen as agreeing to the role. Which I did not want."

"As the Hero of Ferelden you are widely respected-"

"But as an elf and as a mage I most certainly am not but I am also those things. I was those things before I was the Hero, and those things, the Chantry has made very clear, are not good things to be. "

"The Chantry loves all of its children."

Neria snorted, "As an elf I am erased from Chantry doctrine and any faith I might have is suspect , I am always a potential heretic. As a mage? I'm not even a person, I have no rights to property, inheritance, marriage, reproduction or even to my own bodily autonomy. Why in the void would I wish to represent an institution that treats me in such a way?"

"The Chantry may have mishandled the Exhalted March on the Dales..." Cassandra began.

"May have? It was a political land grab on behalf of Orlais, justified by religion,  I know my history."

"But while the Chantry did find the Circles necessary to protect the people mages have always been considered people. Mages could marry and they could leave the circle, they simply had to ask the Senior Enchanter of their Circle."

"If permission must be gained is it a right? The doors were still locked and we could not choose to leave on our own. We were imprisoned and we had no right to property or to anything our parents left to us."

"Mages could not inherit, because a noble mage might use their magic to rule and magic must serve."

"Magic, not mages, but it's clear that differentiation was lost over time, the Circles were a convenient source of labour, as well as an excellent excuse to build and maintain an army in every Andrastrian nation of Thedas."

"That- what- no," she spluttered, "The Circles were meant to protect both mages and the people."

"I wasn't very well protected when Chantry sanctioned gaolers dragged me from my bed several nights a week between my twelfth and fourteenth summers. I was not very well protected when I reported the treatment to the Knight Captain and he had me sent to the cells for lying and flogged for resisting orders."

To her credit, the Seeker was speechless , she didn't argue or deny, "We hadn't known."

"You were Seekers!  Knowing and stopping Templars from abusing their authority was literally your job! You just didn't care. You didn't care because we were weapons, not like real people. They only went after me because sometimes it's fun to have someone who fights back! The tranquil don't say no!  And remember this happened at Kinloch, a place known to be very relaxed with its treatment of mages, what do you think happened at the other circles. Can you really be surprised that the Circles split from the Chantry and that the Templars were so mad to lose their toys?"

She continued before Cassandra could respond, "You should be grateful I refused the part of Inquisitor! because do you really think, given an army and a following of the faithful that I would have allowed the wallowing and corrupt institution to continue on as it had? I would have razed it to the ground and slaughtered our abusers and I. Would. Not. Have. Stopped. Once Orlais and Ferelden were cleared we would have gone north, though I might not have survived long enough to see it through I would have set the war firmly in motion and I would have the support of almost every mage and every elf and every abused servant and citizen, the Carta, too, has no love of the nobility. I would have torn the world apart in hopes that it might someday be better. Everyone would have the same rights, everyone would have a say in their leadership. Resources could be shared and not just hoarded by the wealthy few. Abuses of power would actually be punished."

"You would have started a revolution," Seeker Cassandra said quietly.

"Was that not the purpose of the inquisition?" was her level response, "The Chantry failed in its promises and I am angry and I do not think it can be redeemed. Leliana is more hopeful than I am on this topic, speak to her if you want reassurances."

 

 


End file.
